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"We're working to get an outcome. That's always been the position on both sides."

The drawn-out process prompted opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt to say an announcement about the details was long overdue.

“This has been the slowest birth in Australian political history," he told reporters.

He called on Ms Gillard to “bring it on" and announce the details of the tax.

Mr Hunt criticised the committee’s “locked box" discussions, saying the process had been anything but transparent.

Mr Windsor said the delay in reaching an agreement was justified because of the issue’s complexity.

“We don’t have agreement (but) that doesn’t mean we won’t get there," he said, adding he had not been under pressure to reach an agreement by the government’s self-imposed deadline of late-June, early-July.

When reporters pressed the MP about a deal being weeks or months away he said: “It might be never".

Mr Windsor said the political debate on climate change had been handled poorly but a carbon tax would be easier to sell to the public if and when an agreement was reached.

“It’s been difficult for the government (but) they’ve brought it upon themselves."